Recap of Membership Meeting
by Scott Godshaw
The membership meetings were held on October 25, 2001 at 12:30 and 3:30
p.m. sharp respectively at the AMF Bowlero.
A motion was made under application for membership where two new members
from Strattec, Roosevelt Allen and Esther Rowan, were accepted unanimously.
Rowan was present at the 12:30 meeting.
Reports
Ralph Schweiger read the Trustee Report at both meetings. Joe Chambers,
in his Financial Secretary-Treasurer Report, stated there were 1,578 members at
Briggs and 455 members at Strattec, for a total of 2,033 in September.
Communications
The Wisconsin Labor History Society will be holding their annual high
school essay contest for students (Grade 9-12). All essays must be postmarked
before February 15, 2002.
The Inter-Faith Conference of Greater Milwaukee is holding a workshop
entitled “The Faith Community Looks at Globalization” on November 3rd from
9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at Mt. Mary College in Milwaukee. The workshop fee is
$10.00 and the Local will reimburse anyone that attends.
PACE Region X will be holding their Women’s Network Meeting on Friday,
November 16, 2001 from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at Turner Hall in Watertown, WI.
A motion was made and passed to send Nancy Lesniewski from Strattec and
Tara Fredericks from Briggs to this meeting. The delegate fee is $20.00 and
there will be a one-day loss of wages.
Milwaukee County Labor Council will be holding their annual Solidarity
Celebration on Friday, November 2nd at Serb Hall on 51st and Oklahoma in
Milwaukee. A motion was made and passed to purchase 20 tickets at a cost of
$10.00 each, for a total of $200.00. Tickets will be distributed on a
first-come, first-serve basis.
The Community Services of the Milwaukee County Labor Council, AFL-CIO, in
conjunction with the AFL-CIO Department of Field Mobilization and St. Ben’s
Community Meal Program, will participate in a compassionate community event on
October 29th, feeding the homeless and the hungry. A motion was made and passed
to send $50.00 to this worthwhile cause. Originally, volunteers were needed for
this event and we had 13 volunteers ready and able. However, they had more than
enough people to do the serving. The Local is looking into volunteering at
Hunger Task Force after the first of the year. Details are being worked out and
as soon as the final arrangements are secured, everyone will be informed.
Membership also passed a resolution which stated, “PACE Local 7-232
asks the Milwaukee Common Council to support the boycott of World Bank Bonds. We
also request that the MCLC support this resolution.
Report of Officers
President Gorecki reported on the many layoffs at Briggs and the
subsequent grass roots push to the elected officials to extend unemployment
compensation benefits. We also applied for funding from the Trade Adjustment
Assistance (TAA).
Next months’ membership meeting will be held on Thursday, November 29th
due to the Thanksgiving Holiday and there will be no meeting in December.
Nominations for the Executive Board (minus trustee-at-large) and the two
Strattec Bargaining Committee members, will be taken at the January membership
meeting.
Steward training will take place on Thursday, December 6th. Stewards will
be notified by mail.
The new Micro Line at Briggs, which again tentatively was
scheduled to go into production in November, has still hit a snag. Parts,
primarily the cylinders, have been very difficult to get in.
Insurance meetings were held this week. Ninety people will
have retired this year by the end of the year, however, 450 members remain on
layoff. The Union has requested a meeting with the decision-makers about the
future of the north end, service division and any new work that could be on the
horizon. This meeting may take place the week of November 5th.
At Strattec, there was a discharge case that went to
arbitration. The attorneys’ briefs will be given to the arbitrator before
December 5th and a decision from this 9-hour arbitration will be rendered
approximately 60 days after that. Two other cases are slated for arbitration,
but are currently waiting to pick arbitrators. A third stage was held at
Strattec where 5 grievances were presented. Karl Schneider was successful in
settling a few, a discharged member was returned to work and some overtime
issues were settled.
Some snags arose in job consolidation.
Strattec was cited at the Labor Kick-Off Rally for United
Way for starting a new campaign.
Production levels remain steady.
Jesse Edwards reported on why transfers could be denied,
the Company using their new standard of conduct instead of shop rules and
regulations, when you can use the group change language, confirmation statement
for your insurance selection, two job complaints rescinded, two grievances going
to 3rd stage and Die Cast has added one pieceworker per shift and plating added
four people.
Dennis Nowak reported production is steady at Strattec with
about 180,000 to 200,000 sets per week. Overtime has been greatly reduced. There
is a hiring freeze, but no layoffs are pending. Time clocks were taken out of
some areas and two pay phones were eliminated because they were not making
enough money.
Tom Bishanell gave the quarterly report on time study and
job evaluation for both companies.
Joe Chambers reported on the short-comings of the economic
relief package that the House of Representatives recently passed. It has many
tax breaks for corporations for the rich but little help for working families.
Membership Meeting
